Troubleshooting

Why Can't I Open My Peppol Invoice? Causes and Fixes

Why a Peppol, UBL or XRechnung invoice shows only code or will not open, and how to fix it: XML viewers, wrong file types, signed or zipped files, ordinary PDFs, encoding and SBDH envelopes.

Reviewed by Muhammad Saqlain

·Published 2026-10-13·Updated 2026-10-13·5 min read

Use this guide with

5 ToolsWebPro tools

Open the free tool(s) below and follow the steps in this guide.

Open Peppol Invoice Viewer Open ZUGFeRD / Factur-X Viewer Open XRechnung Viewer Open Peppol Invoice Pre-Check Open PEPPOL XML to PDF

Table of Contents

•Quick answer: why a Peppol invoice will not open
•Common problems and fixes
•I opened it, but the numbers look wrong
•I need a PDF for my records or my accountant

Quick answer: why a Peppol invoice will not open

A Peppol invoice is an XML data file, not a document. Double-clicking it opens a browser or text editor full of tags, or Windows asks which app to use. That is normal: XML needs a viewer that knows the invoice format. Drop the file into the free PEPPOL Invoice Viewer and it is shown as a normal invoice.

Direct answer: you need an e-invoice viewer, not a PDF reader. Open the .xml in the PEPPOL Invoice Viewer. If it still fails, check the problems below.

Open the tool:

Peppol Invoice Viewer on ToolsWebPro →

Common problems and fixes

↔ Scroll table horizontally to view full data

What you see	Likely cause	Fix
Page of code / tags in the browser	XML has no layout of its own	Use an e-invoice viewer; it applies the layout.
"Unsupported invoice format"	The file is not an invoice: for example an Order, an Invoice Response or a Message Level Response	Look at the first element in a text editor. Invoices start with <Invoice>, <CreditNote> or <rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice>.
Error about XML parsing	File is cut off, or it is an HTML or e-mail file renamed .xml	Download the attachment again; ask the sender to resend.
Attachment ends in .p7m or .zip	Signed or compressed file	Unzip it, or extract the XML from the signed container first.
PDF opens but has no data	Ordinary PDF, not ZUGFeRD / Factur-X	Ask for the XML. True hybrid PDFs open in the ZUGFeRD / Factur-X Viewer.
German file with CrossIndustryInvoice	XRechnung in CII syntax	Open it with the XRechnung Viewer.
File starts with StandardBusinessDocument	Invoice wrapped in an SBDH envelope	The viewer looks inside the envelope; if not, remove the header part.
Strange characters (Ã©)	Wrong encoding	Make sure the file is saved as UTF-8 and was not converted by an e-mail program.

I opened it, but the numbers look wrong

If the invoice opens but totals or VAT look odd, run the file through the PEPPOL Invoice Validator. It recalculates the line sum, net plus VAT, the amount due and the VAT per rate, and tells you which declared value does not match. Report that to the sender: e-invoices should not be edited by the receiver.

Open the tool:

Peppol Invoice Pre-Check on ToolsWebPro →

I need a PDF for my records or my accountant

Open the XML in the PEPPOL XML to PDF converter and save it through your browser's print dialog. Keep the XML as well: where e-invoicing applies, the XML is normally the original invoice.

Open the tool:

PEPPOL XML to PDF on ToolsWebPro →

Frequently asked questions

Why does my Peppol invoice show only code?

Because it is an XML data file without a layout. Open it in an e-invoice viewer, which turns the data into a readable invoice.

The viewer says unsupported format. What now?

The file is probably not an invoice, for example an Order or an Invoice Response message. Check the first element: invoices start with Invoice, CreditNote or CrossIndustryInvoice.